Miniature phone plug



p 9, 1952 G. o. PUERNER 2,610, 3

MINIATURE PHONE PLUG Filed March 17, 1950 a0 12 u 50 2s 7g 5 I as g as f 41 Ill/J fl/ 16 INVENTOR.

fiear e 0 flmrner Patented Sept. 9, 1952 MINIATURE PHONE PLUG George 0. Puerner, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to P. R. Mallory & 00., Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application March 17, 1950, Serial No. 150,319

This invention relates generally to electric connectors and has specific application to electric connector plugs adapted to be used as terminals cooperating with receiving or mating jacks for interconnecting electric circuits.

Frequently in the interconnection of electric circuits, a circuit is provided with a terminal-consisting of an electrical plug attachment designed to engage an opposing jack contact terminalconnected to another electric circuit. Because of the constant insertion of the plug terminal within its cooperating jack, the plug is subject to considerable strain and wear. Therefore, it is high- 1y desirable that the required toughness and durability characteristics of the plug be obtained without sacrificing, at the same time, economy of cost.

In the usual type of connector plug, the tip and sleeve contacts are aligned so that they are spaced from each other in the lengthwise dimension of the plug by means of an insulator sleeve or dielectric core of' considerable thickness in order to prevent the possibility of an electrical short between the contacts. The inside contact member of the plug is most often connected to the tip of the plug by retention means such as, for example, a screw type of joint.

By the present invention, amongst other things, the need for this type of retention means, necessi tating costly attendant complexities of construction, is obviated by providing a contact member which may be force-fitted to thetip in a substantially inextricable manner. To do this the said tip contact member is passed through an insulating washer in the plug via a large clearance hole formed in an associated sleeve contact member. At one end of the said tip contact member there is formed a solder lug while at its opposite end, a tip engaging member is formed of predetermined dimensions so as to enable the retentive fitting of this member into the tip of the plug, The corners of the contact tip member are so constructed that they fit against the internal wall of the tip through a bore formed therein. A neck portion of the tip is then forcibly constricted to a determined depth so as to join and stake both the tip and tip contact together. a

This novel construction further helps to insulatively space and hold the tip contact member and the sleeve contact member separate from each other without the necessity of providing a core of insulating or dielectric means so as to preclude electrical contact between the members. A plug has thus been provided which is extremely durable, simple to construct and assemble, and one which is inexpensive in cost.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention toprovide a novel, practical as well as a simple and inexpensive plug connector. 7

I An object of the invention is to provide a con--v 2 Claims. (Cl. 173-361) meeting plug for electric circuits constructed of few and simple parts and which may be securely assembled in an efficient, rapid and economical manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel method for constructing an electrical terminal plug.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a terminal plug for electrical circuits utilized with an associated jack for interconnecting electrical circuits as, for example, apparatus used in connection with radio, telephone or other like devices.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of the invention, combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and the several steps and order of each of the same to one or more of the useful in showing the assembly and/or arrange ment of the individual parts thereof; a

Figure '5 is a cross-sectional view of the subject plug invention as taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and as adapted to show the arrangement of the contact members included within the handle of the subject plug; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tip of.

the plug invention as taken along line B-6 of Figure 3 and is used to illustrate the simplicity in staking the tip contact to the tip of the plug.

Correspondingly like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

The present invention provides a novel electrical connector plug which obviates the need for expensive components and meansfor assembling the separate components. The plug includes a tip and a tip contact member connectedthereto by means of havingthe shoulders member. adjae cently fitted withina bore formed in the tip. At the other end of this contact member there is integrally formed a solder lug. Co-axially surrounding the tip contact member is a sleeve which is locked against a, sleeve contact member by means of a threaded body member connected to' the handle of the plug. This sleeve contact memher also has an integrally formed solder lug. The tip contact member is adapted to penetrate the sleeve contactlmember via a hole therein so as to, as stated above, fit into the bore of the-tin of the plug. The contact member is then substantiallyinextricably connectedto the tip-.by, depressing an. outersurface of the'tip so. that a portion of the surface is intruded therewithin to clamp the tip contact member fixedly.

Referring now to the drawing, thereis shown a plug I which generally comprises a tip H, a

sleeve I 2 separated from the saidtip by means of an insulating washer 38, and a body section i3;

joined to the sleeve by means of a threaded handle I4.

cal shortin between the surface of thehandle and frayed wiring to the tip connector or con-. tact member, as hereinafter described, a cardboard liner 'lllis placed internally of the handle.-

One of the contacts for the subject plugcomprises'a tip contact member 9 having a shank orlsha'ft 3i] and to which is integrally formed a front end portion 39. The sides or shoulders BI, 32'" of the tip contact member are adapted tofit.

within bore 18 of thetipof plug it). An enlarged solder lug section 33 having aterminal perforation 34 is integrally formed to the shank of the tip contact member and is adapted toaidin the retention of the component parts of the plug, as.

hereinafter described. The other contact member, sleevecontact member 44, comprises an annular ring section 35 connected to a terminal solder lug 36 but which is bent substantially at 90' thereto. Annular ring 35 has a central hole portion 31 which, it is seen, allows shait 3illt0 passtherethrough so as to further fit within bore i8 of tip II. An insulating washer 38 isincluded between sleeve [2 and tip ll; said insulating washer having a central opening 49. The washer 38 is retained by the sleeve and tip of the plug by means of shoulders I9 and 2 I integrally formed with saidsleeve l2 and tip I I respectively. Asec- 0nd insulating washer 4| having. a slot Ellcutv centrally therethrough separates enlarged solder lug section 33 from annular ring section 35.. Washer 4! 'is tightly held against ring 35 by. means of lug shoulders 55 and 56 of contact. solder lug 33.

In the assembly of the present improved plug, body' l3 fits over and retains the annular exten sion 22 of sleeve I2, as by means of its associated body ring section 23. The ring portion 35 of sleeve contact member is placed against annular extension 22 and is in turn abutted by slit washer 4|. Shaft 30 is passed through slit washer 4| and annular ring section 35 of sleeve contact member 44 and tightly holds the same together by means of enlarged solder lug section 33.- It is to be noted, too,"that ring section 35 is bowed so that it maintains a tensionin the stack-up of the separate plug components. Thus, in-the event of slight shrinkage of the insulating washers or members, compensatory tension is ob tained through the bowed construction ofan- Figures 1-5 are illustrative of the component arrangement and assembly of the The body l3 of the plug.

nularring 35, The shaft 30 of tip contact memher 29 passes through insulating washer 38 which, as has been stated, separates the tip from the sleeveof the plug. Shank 3ilgpasses through said insulating washer 38 and, as stated, is

adapted to slideably fit within the bore N3 of tip I I. As seen in Figure 6, a constriction of a predetermined depth is next formed within the external surtaceof tip NJ in such fashion as to deform -t'h e-isamje inwardly to develop a clamp or a substantially.inextricable grip on the front end portion 39 of the shank fitted within bore I8 of the tip. By this means the tip and shankare substantially inextricably joined together. To complete the assembly, handle I4 is tightly screwed upon body. i3 by meansof the threadedconstruction thereof so as torigidly lock all the componentstogether. In this manner there is provided an electric connector plu which is assembled simply, ruggedly and compactly, yet, at an economy of cost. 7

The novel connector plug, as described above, is merely illustrative and not exhaustive in scope and since many widely different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription and shown in. the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector plug comprisinga tip having .a sr nooth bore formed therein, a flat rectangularcontact memberhaving itsoute .end fitted;within said bore, a soldering bein an en ars dpo o nt rally formed. on. thein'ner end of said contactmernber opposite thej tin thereof, said enlarged, pqrtion having across-seize tional diameter substantially greaterthan that. of the rest of said contact member, a metal. sleeve surrounding said flat member and spaced there from, said sleeve separated insulatively fromlsaid tip by. means of an insulative washer, a second contact member having a bowed resilient ring. section With a hole therethroughplacedadjacent the inner end of said sleeve so as tobe'electrically. connected; therewith, said firstfcontact member being, spaced fromthev inner end of said si'eeve' member in an insulative manner by .an insulat discv having a hole whose cross-sectionaldiame r. is substantially. less than that of said enlarged. portion of said first rectangular assessments. whereby when said outer endofsaid first contact, member is fitted through said .sleevecontact mem bervia said disc and said hole insaid-resilient ring sectionto enter said bore tip" the n said enlarged portion of said rectangular member; is ly opp d against said disc, and m nsforsecuring. idsle e to sa d on co t member comprising; a body ringsection within which-said insulation disais. placed, said body .ringsection being connected to said inner end oisaidsleevc at a position oppositely adjacent said .resilientring section, saidinsulative disc being pushed againstf said-bowed, resilient ring by means. of the pres sure of said enlarged portion of. said first contact member shoving thereagainst, thus tdcompress the resilient, bowed ring against said'sle eveto-join the. same firmly-.thereagainst, thetip be ing staked to said fiat contact; member to so retain the same securely whereby a compensatory ;tension-is provided in the entireassembly oi the senaratecomponents. w 4

2. An electrical connector plug comprising. a tip having a smoothbore formed therein, a Hat rectangular contact member including a front portion fitted within said bore, the outer surface portion of said tip being depressed so that it is intruded to clamp the front portion of said tip within said bore fixedly, a solder lug being an enlarged portion integrally formed on the inner end of said contact member opposite the tip thereof, said enlarged portion having a cross-sectional diameter substantially greater than that of the rest of said contact member, a round metal sleeve surrounding said flat member and spaced therefrom, said sleeve separated insulatively from said tip by means of an insulative washer, a second contact member including a bowed resilient ring section with a hole therethrough placed adjacent the inner end of said sleeve so as to be electrically connected therewith, said first contact member being spaced from the inner end of said sleeve member in an insulative manner by an insulation disc having a center slit whose crosssectional diameter is substantially less than that of said enlarged portion of said first rectangular contact member, whereby when said outer end of said first contact member is fitted through said sleeve contact member via said hole in said washer and said hole in said resilient ring section to enter said bore tip then said enlarged portion of said rectangular member is firmly stopped against said disc, and means for intimately securing said sleeve to said second contact member comprising a body ring section within which said insulation disc is placed, said body ring section being connected to said inner end of said sleeve at a position oppositely adjacent said resilient ring section, said insulative disc being pushed against said bowed. resilient ring by means of the pressure of said enlarged portion of said first contact member shoving thereagainst, thus to compress the resilient, bowed ring against said sleeve to join the same firmly thereagainst, the tip being staked to said fiat contact member to so retain the same securely whereby a compensatory tension is provided in the entire assembly of the separate components.

GEORGE O. PUERNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,573,435 Yaxley Feb. 16, 1926 1,680,430 Pacent Aug. 14, 1928 1,726,692 Carter Sept. 3, 1929 1,781,958 Schellenger Nov. 18, 1930 1,841,468 Ford Jan. 19, 1932 2,446,317 Wilshusen Aug. 3, 1948 

